Thursday was the day for one of the annual treats – the Press Domaine de la Romanee Conti Tasting. I will write my views on the wines but clearly as I work for the agent I am biased, although when it comes to these wines what I think is of little consequence to their success but I feel it is important, if only for myself, to try and note my impressions.

Following the 2009’s last year (see here) my only “fear” was that the lush and seductive allure of the 2009’s would make the 2010’s seem somehow awkward in comparison. I needn’t have worried as they showed a very different style (don’t like that word) but rivalled if not surpassed the 2009’s as a whole package. A small note for accuracy I tasted at between 7.50-8.20 am as I was also checking the bottles for the actual tasting. We always serve them very cool, as they would be served at the Domaine. Rather importantly given the name of this blog there is no 1er Cru Cuvee Duvault Blochet in 2010.
Notes, actually they are more comments, are in the order that the wines tasted:

Corton Grand Cru – Brooding black forest fruits, good precision, earth and fruit, a little spice then some graphite and gritty tannic notes. This is more Corton that the 09 Corton was, good – 17-17.5
Echezeaux Grand Cru – Higher, lifted red fruit notes with a little hint of tangerine. The nose has a silky poise about it, so different from the Corton before it. I always find Echezeaux a bit like a day when you go to beach expecting a cloudy day and the sun comes out. Lovely – 17.5-18
Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru – Up in weight and intensity on the Echezeaux, a little more heady. The fruit is more bruised and complex, lovely balance of red and black fruits. A keeper. I think after 14 years of tasting Grands Echezeaux on release I finally get it!! Impressive – 18
Richebourg Grand Cru – Darker fruit and a wet stoney minerality, a little asian spice, bigger brooding with definite grip, a real keeper. Long term wine, potentially profound for those who are patient, hardest of the wines to be definite about – 17.5-19

Romanee-St-Vivant Grand Cru – In some ways the star of the tasting. I feel there is no doubt of RSV’s place “above” Richebourg now, many would disagree, such a complete and vibrant wine, so Pinot. It has the femininity of Echezeaux ans the intensity of La Tache, not far off perfect, stunning – 18.5-19
La Tache Grand Cru – Very fine, the hardest to write about really, a good sign, grip and real length to the stunning finish, not over dense, good fruit and that spicey note as ever, very good La Tache, serious – 18.5-19.5
Romanee Conti Grand Cru – One of the first times I can remember this being a step up on La Tache, often it is only time that separates them, a large and in the future, indulgent wine, the texture and depth of the fruit and structure is profound, beyond normal adjectives really and essentially as good as it gets – 19.5-20


With Lunch afterwards a it has become traditional to taste the Montrachet which this year is atypical for the Domaine. There is often a hedonistic edge of Botrytis about the Montrachet but in 2010 it is a serious and focussed wine, this will need at least 10 years but will repay that in spades (18.5-19.5).

Oh well just another year before the 2011’s…